Democratic lawmakers are demanding the US extend deportation protection for more than 500,000 Haitians, warning that without it they would be sent to a war zone the government itself “has explicitly deemed unsafe.”
In a letter Tuesday to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, more than 80 members of the House and Senate argue that it’s in the national interest to re-extend Temporary Protected Status for Haitians living in the US beyond Aug. 3.
“Haitian TPS holders contribute billions of dollars annually to the US economy and hold critical roles in healthcare, construction, and childcare — sectors already facing severe labor shortages,” the lawmakers
wrote. “Terminating their status would destabilize local economies, particularly in Florida, New York, and Massachusetts.”
Haiti has been wracked by gang violence that’s only grown worse since the murder of President Jovenel Moise in 2021. The Caribbean nation of 11.6 million saw more than 5,600 murders last year and armed groups now control 90% of the capital.
More deportees will only fuel gang recruitment, empower “criminal networks with a transnational reach” and potentially destabilize the region, the lawmakers said.
Last month, President Donald Trump’s administration
rolled back a Biden-era decision to extend TPS for Haitians through February 2026. Venezuelans have had their TPS
eligibility shortened to April 7 this year from October 2026.
A group of immigration organizations is
suing the government
, arguing that the changes are unconstitutional and that Noem doesn’t have the right “to pull the rug out from under vulnerable TPS recipients and rescind an extension that has already been granted.”
Tuesday’s letter was signed by 64 House and 24 Senate Democrats, including lead signatories Representatives Yvette Clarke of New York and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, and Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland.
